Featured photo: A bowl of Chef Hardette Harris’s greens. Photo by Jim Noetzel.

Chef Hardette Harris, a private chef and caterer who is also a well-known expert on the regional cuisine of North Louisiana, has announced an upcoming cooking class entitled“It’s What We Eat.”The class will be held at the Woman’s Department Club of Shreveport on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, and will spotlight items from the Official Meal of North Louisiana. Tickets are $30 each andmay be purchased here.

Through demonstrations and hands-on instruction, attendees will learn how to prepare fried chicken, hot water cornbread, greens and peach cobbler, and will be able to sample versions of those dishes prepared by Chef Harris.

If you’re a home cook or someone who is interested in regional culinary history, the class represents a unique opportunity to cook items from the Official Meal of North Louisiana with the woman responsible for its existence. Chef Harris created the menu for the Official Meal and pushed for it to be officially recognized by the state government of Louisiana. On May 4, 2015, House Concurrent Resolution No. 88 was enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. The Official Meal of North Louisiana is only the second “official meal” in the United States.You can read the entire Official Meal menu here.

Chef Harris’s efforts to celebrate the dishes and cooking techniques that distinguish North Louisiana from other regions in the state have taken many forms over the last few years. A recent partnership with Mahaffey Farms, theSeasons and Traditions Dinner Series, has been a fun and educational adventure in eating seasonal produce. She’s also taught cooking classes for children, participated in demos at local farmers’ markets and more.

For more information, contact Chef Harris at (281) 701-7432 or chefhdharris@gmail.com orcheck out her website.